Africa feels the heat on climate change
It may have contributed less than any other continent to CO2 emissions, but Africa is on the front line when it comes to the impact of climate change.
Just ask Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete.
“It is a threat for us,” he told a panel at the World Economic Forum. “On Kilimanjaro the snow is fast disappearing, sea levels are rising — we have one island that has already been submerged — and we’ve towns around the coast where we have to incur huge costs of adaptation to erect walls.”
In theory, Africa is also in a strong position, given its virgin forests that represent one of the world’s great carbon sinks. But setting up workable offset-trading schemes is easier said than done. “I can assure you, it is so difficult to access these facilities,” Kikwete said.
Reuters photo: A truck passes Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania’s Hie district
Five themes for Davos
Top (L-R): Steve Clarke, Natsuko Waki, Gerard Wynn, Martin Howell Bottom (L-R): Peter Thal Larsen, Felix Salmon, Ben Hirschler, Krista Hughes
Reuters will have a multimedia team of 20 journalists plus editors and three columnists on site covering the Jan. 27-31 World Economic Forum annual meeting.
This year we are focusing our news coverage around five global themes that are shaping economics, politics and investment opportunities in 2010. Our in-depth reports will draw on the expertise of our specialist correspondents from around the world to help inform the Davos conversation. These reports will be complemented by on-the-ground coverage, exclusive text and TV interviews, as well as a live blog aggregating the best Davos coverage on the web and on Twitter. We’ll be exploring the probing questions behind efforts to rebuild the world economy and financial system two years after the credit crisis.
Look for these special reports:
China has emerged from the financial crisis emboldened with huge economic clout, vast FX reserves and growing diplomatic influence. To build its global presence, however, it needs brands, managerial expertise and technology. China Economics Editor Alan Wheatley asks – How will it muscle up? Will it be through internal growth or foreign acquisitions? And what are the political and industrial risks, rewards and pitfalls of each approach – for China and the world http://www.reuters.com/subjects/davos/china
My invitation must have gotten lost in the mail again this year…
from The Great Debate:
Business must take the lead on carbon management
Léo Apotheker is CEO of SAP. The views expressed are his own.
Most people who followed the Copenhagen climate talks in December will have been disappointed.
While the agreement brokered by the group of countries that included the United States, Brazil, China, India and South Africa and ratified by most of the attending countries is being touted as a success of sorts, it fell far short of the expectations that had built up, and achieved very little in concrete terms.
Now with the World Economic Forum approaching, the issue of climate change and sustainability will once again dominate discussions among the business and political leaders who attend the annual gathering in Davos.
Ever since the 1968 publication in Science of Garrett Hardin’s article “The Tragedy of the Commons,” it has been regarded as virtually an article of faith that only strong national and international regulators can be trusted with the proper management of public resources.
A clear regulatory framework is necessary for businesses to act in competitive environments and maybe at least some pieces of such a framework will be provided in the future. But it was not provided at Copenhagen.
The United State’s forward thinking progressive types want to lead the World in green sustainable energy. This drive was put in park by the last 5 out 7 administrations. It’s no wonder why the Dems finally got mad and elected Barack Obama, and why the Rupuglican’ts are reeling so spastic-ally. But leading the World in Green technology in the near future is going to be other countries like Germany, China. So we had better get cracking with government incentives to build up our
manufacturing base with solar cell factories, hydrogen cell factories, wind farm factories, Algea farms, Alpaca farms, Organic farms, etc etc. First Obama has to be re-elected in 2012 or it’s going to be 6 out 9 “backward not-green” administrations that our beautiful country has had to slog through year after year instead of 5 out of 9. I hope the rest of the World will support Democrats in 2012, for the Planet’s sake I pray.
Davos Man turns 40
Many happy returns or midlife crisis?
The annual talkfest in the Alps records its 40th birthday this year but the rich and powerful will hardly be in celebratory mood as problems pile up in the post-crisis world.
How to withdraw the trillions of dollars in stimulus that helped the world avoid a rerun of the Great Depression, without spooking markets all over again?
What to do in the face of the world’s lukewarm response to the hot topic of climate change?
How to deal with an ascendant China striding out with a new confidence on the world stage and ready to clash with the West over issues such as Google?
For ‘Davos Man’ — and 85% of participants at the World Economic Forum are still men — these are testing times.
The forum certainly embraces debate but at its heart is a belief in market economics, individualism and power of globalised business to be a force for good. In the wider world, though, the grumbles are growing louder and the WEF’s own research suggests public patience with big business is running out.
Climate change – does business get it?
Climate change — and the need for governments to reach a deal in Copenhagen on limiting climate-changing emissions — has been one of the central themes of this year’s World Economic Forum in Davos.
And despite concerns that the economic crisis could push climate change down the agenda, businesses are salivating at the opportunities offered by going green.
Previously sceptical politicians and NGOs welcome business’s enthusiasm.
“Quite a lot of business has got it, and really understands that this has got to happen and are talking about really innovative things,” Barbara Stocking, CEO of Oxfam.
“If they’re that almost enthusiastic about making the changes then that makes me feel rather better than I did,” she told Reuters.
What do you think? Does business get it?
Government should act and support businesses to keep this issue in their minds always, regardless of economic crisis.
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Resident Davos Expert
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